Saving False Queen Anne's Lace Seed

This post is part of my series on saving cut flower seeds.

Please see the Save Your Own Cut Flowers post about methods for selecting, harvesting, processing, and storing your seeds!

False Queen Anne’s Lace, aka bishop’s weed

Ammi majus, A. visnaga

Both A. visnaga and A. majus are easy to save, in that they do not require isolation, are usually going to seed before you’re able to get the bed turned over, and they’re easy to process. Simply wait for the seed heads to turn brown and begin to shatter when you shake them; then snip them off into a labeled bucket. Dry on a screen or hanging upside down in a bag for about a week to ensure they’re really dry. Then just rub the heads between your hands or on a screen to separate them from the umbel.

After rubbing, pass your batch through your screens and winnow to remove light material. You should get a good amount of seed that will be much less expensive than buying it in and will germinate like a dream. Store in a freezer if you have space, or in a cool dark place that has a stable temperature.

For more on seed saving and other gardening topics, check out my workshops!

Sooooo beautiful! (A. visnaga)

Where fairies live. (A. majus)

Lovely, abundant Ammi seeds.